Amazon Rainforest // 11th Jan 2005

Hi all

I've arrived in the Amazon after a two day boat ride and a couple of flights (one of which I nearly missed thanks to a fantastically arsey customs official). It really is paradise on earth here - I can see Dave's point when he said I'd never go home. Jan - Dave wanted me to just let you know he'd arrived safely. The reserve is simply fantastic - hidden away deep in the rainforest, you're suddenly greeted by this little village with a bunch of buildings, smiling people, etc. Home sweet home for the next couple of months.

You have no idea how bizarre it is to arrive in a tiny village which took three days of travelling to get to from Rio (we're 500km from any real towns here) and be able to read emails from home. The surreality is maximumly enormous. The internet has literally changed the lives of the people here; a couple of months ago therewas a kid who accidentally shot himself in the head with a shotgun, and thanks to the internet they could contact a doctor who talked them through the procedure to save this lad's life. Amazing. Or Amazonazing.

Had a 'fun' time in Manaus, the city in the middle of the rainforest. Had to stop there for a night in a seriously sleazy hotel to get to the boat that brought me here. It is probably the craziest city I've been to - the sort of place you'd go out in the evening and lose a finger. (Cover kids' ears now)Mark and I went out for a couple of hours and managed to have quite a hairy experience with the local street kids offering heroin and smack and any other hard drug you can think of, and accidentally sending a couple of hookers to one of the local hotels, but hey - it's all experience. Thrillingly I have to visit this place once more when I travel south in a couple of months' time.

I hope to send a bunch of photos with the next email if I can get the little camera to work - just shots of Rio, rivers, little pebbles, an empty can, a set of keys and other interesting stuff. Bet you can't wait.

Well, I'd love to write for longer but I have boats to fall out of.

Regards to all

Ollie